Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025

US official meets Lebanon’s leaders as violent protests rage outside banks

US official meets Lebanon’s leaders as violent protests rage outside banks

The US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf met several Lebanese officials on Friday, following depositors’ protests against Lebanon’s central bank and other lenders in Beirut.
Accompanied by Dorothy Shea, US ambassador to Lebanon, Leaf met parliament speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt.

Leaf is reported to have told the officials that the US was pleased with the recent Saudi-Iranian rapprochement and that it encouraged Saudi Arabia to move forward in this regard but the Kingdom had yet to express its intention to restore consular work in Syria.

The diplomat said she did not want to give her opinion on who should be the next Lebanese president as that was responsibility of the country’s lawmakers, but the US welcomed any elected leader.

Leaf told Berri that the situation in Lebanon could not continue as the economic situation was deteriorating and that the country needed to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund as soon as possible.

Ahead of Leaf’s visit to Beirut as part of a Middle Eastern tour, the US State Department urged Lebanese officials to elect a president, form a government and implement decisive economic reforms as soon as possible in order to put the country on the path to stability and prosperity.

Her arrival was preceded by three days of talks in Beirut between the head of the Strategic Council for Iranian Foreign Relations Kamal Kharrazi, Berri, Mikati and Hezbollah. Kharrazi said a new Lebanese president should be elected without outside interference and that the matter was “up to Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah and its allies have named Suleiman Franjieh, head of the Marada Movement, as their candidate, but the sovereign and reformist team has rejected him because of his closeness to the Syrian regime.

Franjieh failed to secure a majority of 65 votes in the first round of voting, and also missed the quorum of two-thirds of members of parliament, 86 out of 128, for the polling session in the second round.

During the talks, Leaf criticized a group of reformist MPs who recently visited the US rather than remaining in Beirut to elect a president. One lawmaker said she told them that although Washington would help to prevent Lebanon’s collapse it “cannot elect a president in their stead.”

Leaf’s visit comes against the backdrop of more economic and monetary deterioration in Lebanon. The IMF warned at the end of its meetings in Beirut that the country “is in a very dangerous situation one year after it committed to reforms it has failed to implement.”

Meanwhile, security forces strengthened their presence in the vicinity of the central bank in Hamra on Friday, after a sit-in by members of the Depositors’ Cry group turned into a riot. Some protesters launched firecrackers at the building, while others tried to storm the Societe General bank, and still more attacked
the frontages of the BBAC and Mawarid banks in Hamra Street.

A group of depositors from the United for Lebanon alliance said they tried to enter the building in which Nadim Kassar, general manager of Fransabank, lives in the Jnah area of Beirut.

“Our protests have nothing to do with what the IMF mission had to say,” Alaa Khorshid, head of Depositors’ Cry, said.

“We had already planned to take action and we will continue to do so until we recover our deposits that have been withheld in banks since 2019.”

Joanna Wronecka, UN special coordinator for Lebanon, said on Friday: “Three years after Lebanon announced the suspension of the payment of its sovereign debts, the Lebanese are still waiting for their leaders to take action and save the country.

“People are angry to see their salaries lose value due to inflation and the depreciation of the national currency. The reforms agreed upon with the IMF have become vital and inevitable.”

The final report of the IMF mission, headed by Ernesto Rigo, said that Lebanon was “at a dangerous crossroads.”

“Without rapid reforms, the country will plunge into a crisis that will never end.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
×